Daddy (1991)

Duffy's the Daddy

What I should mention right off the bat is that "Daddy" is often called "Danielle Steel's Daddy" and anyone with a slight knowledge of made for TV movies will know what that means. I don't mean that "Daddy" is adapted from a Danielle Steel novel, which it is, but that it is another one of those melodramatic movies with romance and trouble all delivered in a soap-operaish manner. In truth that suits lead actor Patrick Duffy who has some staring down the lens big moments but does end up cheesy long before the movie ends.

Advertising exec Oliver Watson (Patrick Duffy - Working Miracles) was happy, a good job, a good marriage, three kids but then it happened his wife of 20 years Sarah (Kate Mulgrew) announces that she is off to do her Masters degrees, except not locally as she has been accepted at a college over 200 miles away and is leaving. With his wife gone things start to go wrong especially for his eldest Ben (Ben Affleck - State of Play) who is forced to drop out of college and get a job when he gets his girlfriend pregnant. But things eventually start to look up when Oliver gets close to beautiful actress Charlotte Sam (Lynda Carter - Sky High)).

I will admit that what attracted me to "Daddy" was that it starred Patrick Duffy, I've been a fan of his ever since I was a child staying up to watch "Dallas" but I watched this in full knowledge of what sort of movie this was going to be. And I suppose because I got what I expected, a corny melodramatic romantic drama I should say that "Daddy" is a success as it delivers exactly what I expected and is what people watch this sort of movies for but it isn't for everyone. Every single actor over delivers the big dramatic scenes especially when it comes to the arguments between father and son with Duffy and Affleck challenging each other hamming it up. But at the same time watching Patrick Duffy and Lynda Carter together is surprisingly charming.

But in fairness dig beneath all the melodramatic acting and the actual storyline to "Daddy" whilst seeming a little far fetched is not bad. I say far fetched as it seems over the top that having been married for 20 years Sarah would suddenly decide to leave her family and head two hundred miles away to complete her master degrees, it is too irrational. But then you have the sub plots, there is Oliver's parents with his mother dying from dementia and also his son getting his girlfriend pregnant and these things flesh it out nicely.

What this all boils down to is that "Daddy" is exactly what you expect from a movie based on a Danielle Steel novel. And whilst for some the melodramatic soap opera acting and story will be perfect for many it will be excruciating. In the end for this reviewer it wasn't terrible but more interesting because of an early role for Ben Affleck.